Gehyra mutilata
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| Gehyra mutilata |
The four-clawed gecko (Gehyra mutilata, also known as the stump-toed gecko, tender-skinned house gecko, sugar lizard, or Pacific gecko, or butiki) is a wide-ranging lizard that is probably native to Southeast Asia. It has made its way to several areas of the world including Sri Lanka, Indochina, and many of the U.S. Pacific Islands. The gecko is somewhat plump, with delicate skin. The skin is usually colored a soft purplish/pinkish gray with golden spots on younger specimens; these spots eventually fade with age.
Like many other geckos, it is very adaptable to its surroundings, although it usually prefers woodlands, rocky areas, and human dwellings. It is also very common on sand beaches in Hawaii, where it is considered an invasive species. The geckos make themselves at home in people's houses, don't seem to mind the humans living beside them; many people don't mind the geckos either, perhaps because -- being a nocturnally active species that spends much of its time high up on walls and ceilings -- they are quite unobtrusive, and because they helpfully prey on household insects.
The species is fairly large for a gecko, reaching up to 12cm. Its tail can reach almost the entire length of the body.
Like most geckos they are oviparous, i.e. reproduce by laying eggs.
The four-clawed gecko shares with the Tokay gecko an unusual ability (for lizards): it is able to vocalize, making chirping noises reminiscent of a cricket.
